Equality
by themistfallen
Summary: A senator in the distant future of the world of Mistborn pushes a radical plan to protect the future of Allomancy. In the shadows people wait to oppose him, radical groups of crazy men, but they do not know quite how powerful he is.
1. Equality

The senator soared over the Elendel, rushing through the air to his hearing. He was an allomancer, a coinshot specifically, and had the ability to push off metals and soar through the air. He hurtled down towards the ground, and pushed hard again off a streetlamp, making it shake and wobble. Hah. Soon he reached the senate building. It was said that Lord Mistborn himself had overseen the building of this place. He would be honored by what he was about to do.

He saw Terra, waiting for him. He swept his eyes over her. She had long vibrant blonde hair which was currently tucked up in a neat little ponytail. She was wearing a very professional looking white top and a short black skirt. She was, unfortunately for her, an aluminium burner. Aluminium had the power to wipe your metal reserves. Not a very useful power on its own, since she could only wipe out metals she could burn, such as aluminium. Perhaps the Mistborn of old, who had all sixteen metal powers, had some use for it, but on its own she was but a gnat. Anyway, she looked all proper for their meeting. She ran forward to hug him.

"I have your notes Novan. All of them." He hugged her back, grinning at her and spoke.

"I'm more glad you're here. You're noteworthy." She smiled, laughed, and they walked on.

He gestured at the briefcase she held and "This will be a difficult debate. A lot for them to get their heads round. I need you with me." She smiled at him, and spoke while rubbing his arm.

"I'll always be there if you need me." She looked to the side at another woman, a brunette who he didn't know. "But I will have to be right back. I am just one aide, I have a lot of people who I have to serve." She handed him the briefcase and ran off to speak to the other women. "Senator Mera, can I help you with your bag?"

He supposed the woman must be a member of his party then, if Terra was helping her. He had spent a lot of time out of these halls. Well, now was time for his comeback.

He went to his chamber and looked through his notes. Terra had arranged them well, everything was there. Perfect. He quickly skimmed through them to make sure every part of his speech was good, that all the images for the projector were ready. They were.

Terra soon returned. He handed her the suitcase, and they went off to the senate room.

It was a magnificent place. A circle, arranged into sixteen quadrants, one for each of the allomantic metals. Packed full of men and women today, for this important event. You didn't have to be an allomancer to be a senator, but most were, and by tradition you would sit with others of your kind. Of course, of late there had been a lot more discord and people had been segregating themselves, but soon, he hoped, he could change that.

He walked to his seat, sitting next to a man in red and gold. His speech was first so soon he would get a chance. The announcer spoke, speaking the dull formalities and announcing him. He waited. And waited, not listening. Eventually he heard what he wanted.

"...On whether Abortion should be legalized in the sixteen districts of Elendel..." It was time to speak. The announcer cleared his throat, and spoke, in a deep and grouchy voice. "Senator Novan, taking the stand."

He spoke.

"My fellow Senators, I thank you for your time. I am here to talk to you about abortion. But first, let me talk about babies." He gestured to Terra, and the first image appeared on the detector. Those like him who could burn steel and use it to push metals could also, with practice, see the metals in a person's body. This was a drawing of a baby inside a mother's stomach, twisting and turning, sucking on its thumb.

"Life starts at conception. To say otherwise is arrogance of the greatest sort. Only a machine like a clock or a watch comes into existence part by part. A baby is born whole and real and alive. What is important is not the size or the weight, but the essence. And that is human. Terra, please?"

She smiled back at him, looking proud, and went to the next picture. This was a series of allomancy aided drawing, of a baby's heart beating. "Five to six weeks after they are born, their heart starts beating. Soon after that their brain develops, they are able to feel and understand the world. My own wife once told me that when my first child was inside her she would sing old nursery rhymes to him when he was still in her womb. My son recognized her voice once he was born. It was the only way to get him to sleep." He gestured at Terra, and she went to the next picture. It was a series of pictures, detailing the development of a baby from a barely visible coil to a birthed baby.

"You were all once children like these. You were all enchanted beings. We were all created by god. We are all like this. I am a survivor. A followed of many paths. I know some disagree with who the god is, but we can all agree that humanity is a divine race. And that extends to babies."

"That makes them alive. They're not just fetuses, uncaring sacks of life that you can dispose of like trash. They're living, real beings." He smiled at the crowds, and smacked his hands together, making a fist."

And that means you can steal their power with hemalurgy. If you approve my bill, to legalize abortion, I will be using the principles of Hemalurgy that I discovered on my trips abroad. Babies, as divine humans like you or me, have allomantic potential. These babies will be sent to the feeding line. Then- Terra please".

An image of a large machine appeared, with a thin spike appeared on the screen. Several dead babies were lying in a bin nearby, speared by the spike. It seemed to radiate power. He gestured at it smiling as the other Senators started to talk among themselves.

"By using my patented allomantic equalizer, the allomantic potential, the little fragment of god in these aborted babies can be ripped out and used for the common good. It just takes five babies to fully charge a spikes." He put a hand on his heart, and saluted to the flag. "For the good of Elendel, for the good of all. There will be no more need to rank society based on how powerful your parents are, on what power you have. Because babies are alive, and they are powerful. All of you can become full allomancers, Mistborns. You can have more than one power. You can have them all." No one spoke. There was silence across the room, bated breaths. He smiled again at Terra, who was beaming with happiness and pride, then spread his hands

"Who's with me?" There was a moments more silence, and then everyone cheered. It was going to plan.


	2. Negotiation

Novan basked in the applause. People clapped and cheered, so many supported his ideas. Terra was beaming with pride behind him. He could hear loud conversations from all around him of people who were boasting what they would do with their new powers.

But some disagreed. He could see them. The Terrismen. They were very withdrawn most of the time and didn't like to get involved in city politics. They stuck to themselves, except when they were demanding more welfare for their people. They would joke and dance around any point rather than engaging.

They sat there, stony faced, silent, not joining the celebrations. They were not so happy with these developments. He had to convince them too though. They needed terris babies too in their factories.

He waited for the talk to die down. He looked at the leader of the Terrisman. He sat there, in a gold and red cloak, long hair flowing down his sides, staring back up at Novan. Lord Vinyl was his name. He was one of the biggest miners in the world. Incredibly wealthy, incredibly influential. An aluminium tapper. He could store his identity in an aluminium metal mind and then tap it during debates. He then had more presence and willpower and could impose his will on any weaker minded person. It was a powerful ability, but it might give him a way in.

"Lord Vinyl. What do you think of my plan?"

The man waved his hand dismissively. "We Terris have no intention of letting our way of life be spoiled by you. We will not comply." Avoiding the question, avoiding the politics.

"What of your way of life would be spoiled by this?"

"The way we do things in our land."

"How do you do things?"

"Well, you know when you're fishing? It's like that. We do it our way. Not yours."

"How do you do fishing differently?"

"We fish creatively."

"How does one fish creatively?"

"Well, it's like, you go out of the city, feel the wind on your skin, the rush of water beneath your rod..." Lord Vinyl paused and flicked his hand up. "It's beautiful."

"We don't exactly fish in the middle of Spook square."

"Yes, but it's different."

"I think you're bullshitting me."

There were shocked gasps around the room. You knew they were doing it but you didn't say it to their faces...

Lord Vinyl's face tensed and he took on a more focused look. He seemed to be tapping his aluminium mind now.

"Parenting is a gift from the gods. Life is precious, and Harmony does not take any of it lightly. The creative power we have been given is a great gift and we shouldn't waste it. Not giving some of your allomancers a few more powers especially."

"Why didn't Harmony give you a physical power? Have you ever wanted that? To be able to run like a steel tapper, be as strong as one with a pewtermind? I can give you that."

The man paused shocked. Novan knew why. This man had spent all his life surrounded by burly miners, always being the one with the firm tongue, watching the ladies flock to those with more real powers. And now he had intensified all those insecurities to crush him in debate.

"You can... give people feruchemy powers too?"

"Yes."

"I... want that."

Novan grinned. He had convinced everyone. His plan was working. Then he saw something, out of the corner of his eye.

What was that? Dropping from the roof? A bomb!


	3. Justice

Novan, scion of Venture, was bleeding. He blinked his eyes rapidly to try and clear his vision as sights danced in front of him. His ears were still ringing like a from the explosion, and he could barely see over the dust and rubble. He had to get up.

He unsteadily stood up. Terra- a man was holding her down against the rubble, with an aluminium gun. He couldn't push those. He quickly drew his pistol, aiming to shoot to kill.

Then pain flashed in his head and he fell to his knees. Steel boots kicked away his gun. But not his only gun. A man came up from behind him and pressed a sharp steel sword against his neck.

"This is what our country is reduced to. Stealing power from babies, murdering children. I am here to stop that. I am one of the survivors, and I will not let you continue. For too long the rich have abused their power. They have bribed union leaders, flattened our homes, raped our women. And now this. You want to take the unborn children from our women's chests and use them too? Are there no depravities you will not sink to? I would say..."

He had to focus. He burnt steel and viewed the world through steel eyes. Everything went blue- he could see the metals in people, see all around him. He had to protect Terra. How many were there? Four of them. The man with the sword ranting on, the man holding her, and two others with guns, one close to Terra, one close to him. He had to stop them. There was a steel pipe beneath him. Perhaps...

"And it sickens me further how our good representatives would go along with this. All for personal power. I will- what's that?"

A cry came out from Terra's direction. He looked over there. The man holding her was on fire, screaming with agony. Then he shook, and melted right before his eyes. Moments later Terra stood up, the liquid fat and muscles pouring off her.

"I'm a twinborn you bastards." She lunged at one of the two men. He swelled up, his muscles growing vast as he got ready to fight. Then Novan felt a sudden burst of heat. She had burnt him to death in one powerful burst of heat. Two down.

Novan rolled to pick up his gun and drew a second gun from his top. He aimed at the man with the sword and fired them both at him.

He dodged? Impossibly fast, the man had side stepped the bullets. He unloaded both pistols at him, firing again and again, watching as the man dodged each bullet.

Then the man surged forward and kicked him, sending him rolling across the floor. He arm was broken.

He looked on helplessly as the man came up to Terra. She drew her fists up, burning hot, the air wavering with the intensity of her heat, ready to fight. Then the man threw his sword. It scythed through the air and slammed into Terra, knocking her back. Blood gushed from her chest. The waves of heat vanished and she collapsed.

"You have murdered two of men you bitch. You will pay for this. But don't think I've forgotten about you, Novie." He said, gesturing at Novan. "I'm going to gut every one of your supporters and stop this all." He walked forward and grabbed the sword inside of Terra. She tried weakly to get up, and the man kicked her in the face, knocking her down. Then he grabbed her wrist and ripped off the brass bracelet- the source of her new power- and tossed them away.

The final supporter had came up to Novan and pointed a gun at him. Aluminium. He couldn't push that.

The lighting fast man spoke. "Time to die, scum. Don't let Novan interfere" The man grabbed the sword stuck inside Terra, and pulled her up to her feet. He then drew a pistol and placed it on her forehead. "You may not have been involved in the darker details of his duty, but you supported him. I am sorry I have to do this." She coughed, blood on her lips and said something quietly.

"What was that? I can't hear you. He leaned in closer to her.

She spoke, loudly. "I got a spike too. Steel." She grasped the sword, her blood dripping on it, and it vanished. She burnt it. The man stumbled forward and she grabbed his face.

"And I still have some brass left." His face ignited like an inferno. The man screamed, and jumped back.

Seeing his chance, with the man by him distracted, Novan found a pipe deep below him and pushed hard against it, and flew up against this invader. He slammed into him, knocking him back. Then he felt his push stopped. The man was increasing his weight. He was an iron feruchemist! The man slammed a fist into him, heavy with power, and knocked him down.

"Arrrgh. We have to get out of here. To me!" The fast man had stopped the burning, and, with one hand over his burnt face, ran over to grab his companion. Then, sprinting away faster than the eye could see, he was gone.

"Terra..." Novan got up, glared at the nonsupportive senators who had done nothing, and staggered over to her. She was sitting down, blood leaking.

"We need to save you... stop the bleeding. Damnit girl, I don't want to lose you." He grabbed her hand, and pressed it to her chest.

"You need to make it burn. You need to close the hole. Burn."

He felt a sudden wave of heat and Terra whimpered. Then the wound was closed, cauterized. He ripped off his shirt and began to bandage the wound on her back with the expensive fabric.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a twinborn?"

She gasped weakly. "I love you." He grasped her tightly. "I know." She spoke again. "I didn't want you to judge me. As any less. Like a terris." He shook his head. "I could never think less of you. You're amazing. And I am going to keep you alive. We are going to go to my factory, get you a gold spike, and save your life."


End file.
